Blair Mascall, Kenneth Leithwood, Tiiu Straus and Robin Sacks
The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between four patterns of distributed leadership and a modified version of a variable Hoy et al. have labeled “teachers'…
Abstract
Purpose
The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between four patterns of distributed leadership and a modified version of a variable Hoy et al. have labeled “teachers' academic optimism.” The distributed leadership patterns reflect the extent to which the performance of leadership functions is consciously aligned across the sources of leadership, and the degree to which the approach is either planned or spontaneous.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for the study were the responses of 1,640 elementary and secondary teachers in one Ontario school district to two forms of an online survey, xx items in form 1 and yy items in form 2. Two forms were used to reduce the response time required for completion and each form measured both overlapping and separate variables.
Findings
The paper finds that high levels of academic optimism were positively and significantly associated with planned approaches to leadership distribution, and conversely, low levels of academic optimism were negatively and significantly associated with unplanned and unaligned approaches to leadership distribution.
Originality/value
This study provides as‐yet rare empirical evidence about the relationship between distributed leadership and other important school characteristics. It also adds support to arguments for the value of more coordinated forms of leadership distribution.
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Equity in education has been on the education research forefront for many decades, but there is now much more of a political consensus that investing in equity in education needs…
Abstract
Equity in education has been on the education research forefront for many decades, but there is now much more of a political consensus that investing in equity in education needs to be at the heart of education agendas. As the link between education, equity, and growth is becoming even more evident, so is the search for policies that can contribute to improve educational outcomes of the more disadvantaged groups in our societies as a way to strengthen social cohesion, development, and growth. While there has been in-depth analysis of system-level policies that can contribute to improve equity, at the school level, there is sparse comparative analysis of the particular role school leaders can play in the equity-quality agenda. This chapter focuses on the types of policies that can support school leadership in education for disadvantaged students and schools across OECD countries. It builds on qualitative and quantitative comparative studies that focus on equity (OECD, 2012), on reforms implemented across OECD countries (OECD, 2015a) as well as on data from international surveys such as the Project for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). More concretely, the chapter (1) reviews why investing in equity is not only a social imperative but also an economic investment; (2) discusses how different OECD countries reform in terms of equity and quality in education; and (3) explores evidence and country practices to conclude on how school leadership can positively influence equity in education.
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This paper aims to assess the empirical utility and conceptual significance of distributed leadership.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to assess the empirical utility and conceptual significance of distributed leadership.
Design/methodology/approach
Three main sources of evidence are drawn on. The paper reviews some neglected commentary of an early generation of distributed leadership theorists. It also discusses a strand of social science writings on emergent small number management formations. An alternative interpretation of the findings of three recent empirical studies of distributed leadership is provided. Some unresolved issues are considered.
Findings
Distributed leadership arose in reaction to understandings of leadership that emphasised heroic‐like individual behaviour. It has achieved a high level of theoretical and practical uptake. This paper, however, argues for reconsideration. Distributed leadership is shown to be largely unremarkable, especially in light of the continuity between current writings and those of early generation scholars. This claim is also reinforced by the inability of most current scholars to develop the emergent potential of a tradition of writings on the division of labour in small groups (emanating mainly from the work of Georg Simmel). Finally, the paper argues that a more appropriate descriptor for recent leadership analyses may be “hybrid”, rather than “distributed”.
Originality/value
Conceptually and empirically, there is still work to do. First, leadership's distributed status now aligns it with power and influence, each for some time recognised as distributed, although the preference for leadership as a vehicle of analysis ahead of power and influence still lacks sufficient justification. Second, while distributed leadership is sometimes thought of as synonymous with democratic organisational leadership, the latter is shown to be conceptually distinct.
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The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of Lesson Study (LS) in England through a Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) project – from early ideas, to a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of Lesson Study (LS) in England through a Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) project – from early ideas, to a national pilot and national support from the National Strategies, a new labour government agency supporting improvement in educational standards.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper describes the early development of LS in England as a process to improve teaching and learning and pupil progress in networks of schools and local authorities, between 2003 and 2006, going on to describe the entrance of LS onto the English national educational policy landscape in 2008.
Findings
The paper finds that LS has a place in the repertoire of teacher learning approaches and there is evidence that its use can improve teaching, learning and pupil learning outcomes in a range of school contexts. LS works successfully in a system that expects teachers and school leaders to improve professional knowledge and practice through systematic use of collaborative, enquiry based teacher learning approaches.
Originality/value
The paper provides some examples of the evidence of impact that Lesson Study has had on pupil learning outcomes.
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This chapter focuses on researchers as knowledge workers in higher education in England as an illustration of what Katznelson (2003, p. 189) identifies as the ‘professional…
Abstract
This chapter focuses on researchers as knowledge workers in higher education in England as an illustration of what Katznelson (2003, p. 189) identifies as the ‘professional scholar’ undertaking intellectual work as a public intellectual. I begin by examining the challenges to intellectual work and its location in a university, particular from the media and the popularity of what Bourdieu calls Le Fast Talkers 1 – those who talk a lot but have nothing much to say. After drawing out the tensions within knowledge production, I then locate the analysis of what it means to do research in a period of education policymaking in England between 1997 and 2010, when New Labour called on researchers to produce evidence to support radical reforms. In particular, I argue that school effectiveness and school improvement (SESI) knowledge workers in Schools of Education in higher education in England are an interesting case for investigating the public intellectual positioning as ‘detached attachment’ (Melzner, 2003, p. 4), particularly through their attachment to New Labour governments and the subsequent detachment following a change of government in May 2010.
Wan Nurulasiah Wan Mustapa, Farah Lina Azizan, Muhammad Aiman Arifin and Ahmad Zulhusny Rozali
This study aims to review the last 50 years of academic research on collective leadership (CL) and how far it has progressed by using the Scopus database and the science mapping…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to review the last 50 years of academic research on collective leadership (CL) and how far it has progressed by using the Scopus database and the science mapping technique of bibliometric analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
This study has analysed 417 publications from the Scopus database on collective leadership from 1967 to 2023. Data were analysed using MS Excel and VOSviewer.
Findings
There has been research from different parts of the world on the various aspects of collective leadership. In recent years, collective leadership research has gained momentum. However, collective leadership is still at a nascent level when it comes to the applicability of the concepts. So far, the research on collective leadership has relied on themes such as shared leadership and distributed leadership, how collective leadership differs from other similar-looking leadership styles such as transformational leadership, and how this influences followers’ outcomes such as team effectiveness, achievements, relations, commitment, etc. Most of the research so far has been done in the United States of America, the UK and the Australian context. There exists a huge gap for studying collective leadership in African, Middle Eastern and Asian contexts.
Research limitations/implications
Collective leadership research trends may be addressed to enable academics and practitioners to better understand current and future trends and research directions. Future studies in this field might use the findings as a starting point to highlight the nature of the topic.
Originality/value
Bibliometric techniques provide a far more comprehensive and reliable picture of the field. This article has the potential to serve as a one-stop resource for researchers and practitioners seeking information that can aid in transdisciplinary endeavours by leading them to recognized, peer-reviewed papers, journals and networks.